Chrysler to Begin Electric Minivan Production in Fall
17 June 1998
Chrysler to Begin Electric Minivan Production in Fall AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 17 -- Chrysler Corporation
announced today that production of the world's only electric minivan
will begin in October at the company's Windsor Assembly Plant in Ontario,
Canada. EPIC (Electric Powered Intraurban Commuter), an electric version of
the 1999 Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager, will be made available to fleet
owners in California or New York.
"With EPIC, we're combining our latest ZEV (Zero Emissions Vehicle)
technology with the utility of our minivans," said Craig Love, Chrysler
Corporation's Executive Engineer for Electric Vehicles. "The result is an
electric vehicle that offers unsurpassed passenger/cargo carrying flexibility
and the clean, quiet power of electric drive."
For the 1999 model year, Chrysler will manufacture approximately 2,000
electric minivans and make them available for fleet leasing at $450 per month
for a three-year period in New York and California. In Windsor, EPIC
production will take place on the same production line where gasoline-powered
minivans are manufactured. The only noticeable difference in the production
process is that an electric motor and battery pack are installed as opposed to
a gas engine.
The Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager EPIC models are powered by an AC
traction motor. "Fuel" for the EPIC is provided by a nickel metal hydride
(NiMH) battery pack, which is conveniently located under the floor of the
minivan. Top speed for EPIC is 80 miles per hour and range on a full charge
is projected to be between 80 and 90 miles in moderate conditions.
To maximize vehicle range and reduce road friction, EPIC uses P205/75R/15
low-rolling resistance tires. In addition, a regenerative braking system is
activated when the brakes are applied and works to charge the battery during
vehicle deceleration.
Chrysler was the first major automaker to begin manufacturing electric
minivans. From 1993-1995, Chrysler sold first-generation TEVan electric
vehicles to fleets across the country. The real world experience and valuable
customer feedback gained from these initial sales allowed Chrysler engineers
to work toward improved performance and reduced costs for the EPIC family of
electric minivans.
"At Chrysler, we're constantly exploring alternative fuel technologies and
the energy conversion systems that use these fuels to provide environment-
friendly automotive transportation," said Love. "The EPIC minivan is our
state-of-the-art entry into the electric vehicle segment. While there's still
a gap in cost and operating range between electric- and gasoline-powered
vehicles, we're working hard to close that gap."
Since 1983, Chrysler Corporation has sold nearly 7 million minivans. The
company sells approximately 700,000 minivans worldwide every year and has a 45
percent market share of the North American minivan market. Industry-wide,
minivans account for 8 percent of all new vehicles sold in the United States.
Chrysler Corporation minivans, which include the Plymouth Voyager, Dodge
Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country, are manufactured in St. Louis, Missouri,
Windsor, Canada, and Graz, Austria.
